Typically, ink jet printing involves forming characters on a substrate by ejecting ink droplets from a printhead having one or more nozzles. In order to provide a high quality image, hot melt jet ink compositions which are solid at room temperature, but molten at jetting temperatures are used. Unfortunately, such hot melt jet ink compositions, while capable of providing a high quality image at ambient temperatures, are readily abraded or deformed upon handling of a printed substrate which is stored in a low temperature environment, such as in a refrigerator or freezer. In many cases, such low temperature storage causes the ink to become brittle. As a result, the ink may crack or even worse, flake off the printed substrate. In addition, exposure to low temperature may cause the ink to smear or exhibit poor scratch resistance. Typically, a hot melt composition which has excellent adhesion, scratch resistance and flexibility at low temperature may have too much tack and exhibits undesirable offset and pickoff at ambient temperature. Such unintentional transfer of the ink from a freshly printed substrate is particularly troublesome since hot melt jet ink compositions are applied to substrates which are at ambient temperatures, for example typically not lower than at 40.degree. F., at the time of application.